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How to Care for Spider Plants

Chlorophytum comosum aka spider plant, airplane plant, St Bernard lily, spider ivy or ribbon plant in a terracotta pot
Photo Credit
t50/Shutterstock
Botanical Name
Chlorophytum comosum
Plant Type
Houseplant
Sun Exposure
Part Sun
Shade
Soil pH
Neutral
Bloom Time
Spring
Summer
Fall
Flower Color
White

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Growing Spider Plants: Watering, Lighting, Propagation, and Pests

Catherine Boeckmann
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Spider plants produce a rosette of long, thin, arched foliage that is solid green or variegated with white. These easy-to-grow houseplants look especially lovely in a hanging basket and were a favorite in Victorian-era households. Here’s how to grow spider plants in your home!

About Spider Plants

During the summer, spider plants may produce tiny white flowers on long stems, as well as baby spider plants (offsets) called pups. The pups look like tiny spiders, hence the plant’s name!

NASA once highlighted spider plants for their reported air-purifying ability, though a large number of plants would be required to reap any benefits in the home. Nonetheless, they are a classic and attractive plant to add to your space, and every little bit helps! Learn more about air-purifying houseplants.

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Planting

  • Grow in a soil-based, well-draining potting mix. Spider plants like even moisture; they don’t like to be too dry or too wet.
  • Keep plants in bright to moderate indirect sunlight. Spider plants do not appreciate direct, hot sunlight, which can burn their leaves, causing brown tips and spots.
  • Spider plants grow fairly quickly and can easily become pot-bound. Plan to repot a spider plant about every other year.
  • Spider plants can be grown outdoors as annuals during the summer. They look especially good along the edge of a container or bed, as long as they are kept out of direct sunlight.

Growing

  • During initial growth, water occasionally; once fully developed (within one year), water moderately. 
  • In the spring and summer months, keep the soil moist to encourage growth. Do not let the soil dry out too much.
  • Maintain average room temperature and humidity. Spider plants prefer temperatures between 55 and 80°F (13–27°C), which makes them a great indoor houseplant.
  • Fertilize twice a month in the spring and summer; however, avoid overfertilization.
  • See more Houseplant Growing Tips.
Spider plant hanging in a window. Photo by Olga Prava/Shutterstock.
Photo by Olga Prava/Shutterstock

Types

  • The most common varieties are the variegated forms:
    • ‘Vittatum’ has green foliage with a single off-white stripe down the center of each leaf.
    • ‘Variegatum’ is the inverse of ‘Vittatum’, with an off-white stripe running along the edge of each green leaf.
  • Solid green varieties are also available.

Harvesting

  • Healthy spider plants may eventually produce pups, offshoots from the adult plant that can be removed and replanted to start new plants. For the best results, allow pups to reach approximately 2 inches in diameter before removing them from the mother plant.

    Alternatively, set the still-attached pups into pots of soil placed next to the mother plant. Once the pups have rooted themselves into the soil, they can be cut loose from the mother plant.

    Learn more about propagating spider plants and other houseplants to share with your friends.

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Wit and Wisdom

Pests/Diseases

  • Spider plants are prone to tip burn, which can be caused by dry soil, low humidity, or a buildup of salt and chemicals found in some public tap water. Keep the soil slightly moist. Avoid watering with fluoridated or chlorinated water, and cut off brown tips if they do occur. 
  • To get rid of the brown discs on the leaves, use your fingernail to scrape off the brown residue every few days.
  • Mealybugs
  • Scale
Houseplant Guides
About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana. Read More from Catherine Boeckmann
 

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Comments

Zia-ur-Rehman (not verified)

1 month 1 week ago

Amazing guide.
Thanks for the knowledge.
Here is also a site you can visit for plants guides.
https://thegrowgarden.com

Jeanne (not verified)

5 months 2 weeks ago

I've had my spider plant for 15 years. I've had to repot it several times with no problems. I recently reported again but it split into two large sections so I thought I would repot them separately (2 different pots). They are not looking very good & I'm afraid I'm going to lose them after all this time. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

Terry (not verified)

1 year 2 months ago

Why are my leaves brown on the edges

Hi Terry,

There are a few factors that could cause your spider plant leaves to brown on the edges. One of the reasons is that your plant is too dry. Allowing the soil to dry out too much between waterings prevents your plant from taking up the water it needs to thrive. It is best to keep the soil moist and water moderately. Other reasons could be too much direct sun, humidity levels are too low, or it has received too much fertilizer.

Cynthia (not verified)

1 year 3 months ago

Hi,
I put my many spider plants in the backyard while I was away for a month. It apparently rained quite a bit, and got pretty hot. They survived, nut many leaves have brown spots like rust. Should I cut the rust off?

Hi Cynthia-

You may be able to scrape off the spots with your fingernail. Try that first. If not, you can certainly cut them off.

Missy (not verified)

1 year 4 months ago

Hi there i live in MN and I have my spider plant in a pot on my porch which get direct hot sunlight and it couldn't be thriving any better. Ive had to repot it twice since March and the pups don't stop growing. I got this plant at my mothers funeral and I don't want to do anything to kill it. My question is should I bring it in or let it be? Thanks in advance.

Ps. Its my one and only plant. And my first one ever:)

It sounds like your spider plant is absolutely thriving! That's amazing, especially since it's your first plant and holds such sentimental value. Given that you're in MN, I'd definitely recommend bringing it inside once the temperatures start dropping. Spider plants are pretty resilient, but they don’t do well with frost or extreme cold. Indoors, it should continue to grow beautifully, especially if it’s getting good sunlight. Also, if you ever want to switch things up or add to your plant collection without the upkeep, Designer Plants (https://designerplants.com.au/) has some fantastic artificial options that look just as good as the real deal!

Hi Missy,

Thanks for sharing. It is wonderful to hear that your spider plant is doing so well. What a special way to honor your mom!

While it is thriving at the moment, just be careful not to allow it to get too much direct sun, as extended exposure can result in leaf scorch.

Spider plants are typically grown as houseplants, but do enjoy time outdoors during the warm season. But as soon as the weather begins to change in the fall and temperatures begin to cool, you should plan to bring it inside to overwinter as a houseplant and follow the growing tips outlined above.